Secrets
by gemsofformenos
Summary: Gift 4 of my personal gifting season I have started to give something back to authors, who have inspired my work the most. Without them I wouldn't write the way I do. - Azula got suspicious as Sokka started to spend less and less time with her and now she has seen him with TyLee...


**Hello everybody, the fourth gift and this time to an author who had and has a great influence at my style of writing. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this story.**

**For BellatrixLestrangey**

**It has been over a year now, since I've written my first review for 'Mechanical Dragon'. Your unique style, driven by descriptions and not by dialogues had caught me beside my interest in horror stories and heavy themes as well. You know how much your stories and style has influenced my own and still do. You have helped me to approach and dare more touchy themes, you have shown me and inspired me to write for a fandom I former didn't knew and your stories are such a great source of inspiration and thanks to them I'm still learning new words every day I read them. Your encouragement, comments, hints, ideas, support and corrections have helped me so much to develop my writing, to dare more at writing, to get better in my style. But the most important thing is, that I have found a friend in you. This achievement counts more for me than any improvement in language or style I have made. Thank you so much for it. I hope this little fluffy one hits your taste a bit.**

* * *

**Secrets**

"Sokka, it's about time."

TyLee's voice was rushed. Sokka gave her an excusing look.

"Sorry, but first I had to deal with Azula. She starts to get suspicious."

TyLee nodded.

"I know, Suki has mentioned it."

The Kyoshi Warrior gave Sokka a sweet smile and the ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe offered her his arm with a grin.

"Well, I guess it's better, that we don't waste any time. I bet this day will be intense again."

The former acrobat hooked in and both left the main hall towards the private quarters of the Kyoshi Warriors.

* * *

The truth was hurting. It was hurting badly. The pain was the only thing Azula was really sure of, the rest was a ripping, whirling and blurry mess of emotions, mocking her with sharp razor blades hidden behind whispered laughter in her mind. The Princess was pressing herself behind a pillar in the main hall to hid herself and her shame, which was burning like hot iron in her guts. She was hiding to process what she had seen seconds ago.

The final prove she had searched for.

The prove for her suspicion that he was cheating on her.

The prove that Sokka has lied to her all the time.

Azula tasted some blood and so she recognized, that she was biting her bottom lip so hard, that it had cut open. Her hands were trembling fists and blue flames were leaking out of them between her fingers.

How could she have been so blind.

Azula felt a tear escaping her eyes, but she wiped this pathetic sign of weakness away. It has been her own fault. She was the one, who returned home. She was the one, who has dared to be weak, to lower her guards for this water peasant. She has believed his charming smile and his sweet words. Now she was paying the price for her stupidity. She should have known better.

It has started two weeks ago as Sokka returned later than normal. A meeting with members of the council, something about treaties for oil with the South.

At least this was Sokka's version. But Azula had felt, that something was wrong and so she started to observe. It was a curse and a blessing that she was a master in observing and recognizing details. And Sokka spent less time with her since this day, but he had excuses for it. Meetings with council men, buddy time with Zuko, various duties as ambassador… the list grew longer and a gnawing fear set root in Azula's mind.

Sokka might be tired of her.

Of course he would be. Who would love a person like she was.

And so Azula started to search for evidences. She checked his excuses. Sure, she had hoped, that she would be mistaken, as harder it was to find out the truth. Sokka hasn't even tried to create a good cover. It were all faked excuses. Named council men were on vacation on Embers Island and due to Sokka's office he had cleared his schedule for weeks to have free time, but he didn't spent this time with her.

This fact alone was enough to choke the Princess with hurt and fury, but the hardest strike came from Zuko. Her own brother helped Sokka to cover his lies. Her own brother was at Sokka's side and not on hers. He had told her a opulent lie about a great sparring day with Sokka as she had asked him about the buddy time. She had laughed with Zuko and has smiled the pain and rage away, since Sokka had told her, both had a day out in Caldera City.

Nothing had changed.

Zuko was still choosing others before her.

She wasn't even worth of matching the stories to create a better cover.

And so she had decided to follow Sokka this day, as he has given her another lame excuse, why he wouldn't spent time with her. It has been the killing hit for Azula. She has heard the prove, that Sokka was not only avoiding her, he was cheating on her with TyLee. And they were all against her. None of them had warned her. No one.

The isolation, the shame, the hurt. It was like her soul was torn and ripped in many directions at the same time, but in the middle of this hurricane was a blazing inferno, fueled by hate. They would pay for this betrayal.

All of them.

And Azula would start at the root of it.

Her face was a mask of rage and a deadly fire was burning in her eyes as she made her way to the quarters as well. TyLee and Sokka may have fun together, but she would assured, that this wouldn't last any longer.

* * *

She heard muffled voices out of TyLee's quarter and it was twisting Azula's guts. For a moment she was unsure, if she really wanted to see the final prove of her humiliation. But a slight giggle was the sting she needed to kick the door open. Shocked screams welcomed her and she was about to throw a fireball at the cheating couple, but Azula's blue fire died on her palm as her eyes fell on Kiyi. Her mind went blank and she pointed with shaking hands at her sister. Her voice was filled with disbelief. All her former thoughts were vanished at the sight of Kiyi's own fire dancing on the open palm of the kid's hand. The fire was shining blue.

"I don't understand… How?"

She shared baffled looks with Sokka and TyLee, who were at Kiyi's side still staring at shock at Azula. Her sister let the flame die and gave Sokka a nod. It was the sign for him to set up a warm smile, after he had released a little sigh.

"It has been Kiyi's idea. She wanted to prepare a surprise for your anniversary next week."

Azula's look stayed as dumbfounded as before, so TyLee continued the explanation.

"It'll be a year since your return next week and Kiyi want to have a special gift for you."

The kid nodded and lighted up the flame again. It was shining in a mesmerizing blue, a bit brighter than Azula's fire.

"Your fire is awesome Azu and I was sure I can have blue flames too. But Zuko was no help and so I asked Sokka and TyLee. They know you best Azu and so they helped me to get the trick for myself. It should have been a surprise for our training next week."

The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell at new places and Azula loved the picture these parts were forming now. She felt Sokka's arms wrapping around her and he gave his still speechless Princess a long kiss.

"Sorry for not telling you the truth. We have trained the focus and breathing with Kiyi and have worked out a kata. The plan was to switch the flame color within it as a surprise for you."

This time Azula didn't hold back her tears. It were tears of joy and relief and she pulled herself close to Sokka, to give him the deepest kiss she had shared with him since weeks.

"I'm sorry Sokka, I thought you… and then I saw you with TyLee and..."

She got cut off by another kiss of the water tribe warrior.

"Hey. I would never do this to you, Azula. I love you."

His voice was shaky as well and she could hear how sorry and ashamed he was, that he has caused her such a misery. Azula tightened her grip around him, nestling her face in the crook of his neck. Sokka rested his chin on her head and both shared the comforting warmth for some time. The sound of Kiyi cleaning her throat made the two lovers finally turn around.

"Azula, do you want to see the kata? We can go to the trainings place."

Azula smiled warm at Kiyi and walked over to her. She got down on her knees and hugged her sister.

"Show me your kata next week, like you have planned."

She shared looks with Sokka, who was nodding at them and TyLee, who had a teary smile on her face, before she faced her sisters eyes with her golden ones again. Her smile was warm and thankful.

"This was an awesome idea of you, Kiyi. I'm so proud of you and very excited to see your kata for me."

Azula received a squeezing hug from Kiyi and a kiss on her cheek. The Princess got up again and walked to the door, after she had hugged TyLee to say sorry and Sokka again. The mischievous voice of her boyfriend made her stop in the frame.

"So next time I better tell you right from the start, when I help someone with a surprise for you?"

Azula smirked at Sokka, who was wiggling his eyebrows. Finally she shrugged shoulders.

"A wise council, Sokka. A wise council."


End file.
